Alaska Travel Destinations

Totem poles are the informal Alaskan logo, vestiges of a unique native culture that thrived up until the turn of the century. The boldly carved images tell a story, commemorate an event or send a message. residents take pride in being Alaskans and do not look kindly on transients who come to Alaska only for high wages.

Alaska has one popular ski area, Mt. Alyeska Resort. It is on 4000-foot Mt. Alyeska, forty miles south of Anchorage. Since the area gets only a few hours of daylight in mid- winter, several of the slopes are lighted. The resort is owned by Seibu Alaska, an Alaskan subsidiary of a Japanese conglomerate.

One of the great rail trips can be taken between Anchorage and Fairbanks via the Alaska Railroad. The train passes through Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska’s best known wilderness recreation area. Traveling the Park road almost assures the visitor of seeing grizzly bears, moose, fox, caribou or sheep. Mount McKinley dominates the area and well it should. From base to summit it is the tallest mountain in the world (the Himalayas start at higher elevations).

From Anchorage to Fairbanks, trains run daily from mid-May through mid-September. Once-a-week service is available during the winter months. Tourists usually break up the trip by stopping at Denali Park for a day or two.